Honda Personal-Mobility Concept Takes Geek Crown From Segway

Photo: Honda Motor Company

Honda has unveiled a new personal mobility concept vehicle that lets riders move around indoors at about the same speed as their legs could carry them.

The UNI-CUB is the evolution of the U3-X, unveiled back in 2009, and uses Honda’s proprietary balance control system to keep from tipping over. It also uses the company’s Omni Traction drive system, in which the rear wheel moves laterally in order to make turns easier. This allows side-to-side and diagonal movement, in addition to the ability to turn in place. The UNI-CUB moves in whichever direction the rider shifts his or her weight, and control through a smartphone’s screen is also possible.

Improvements over the U3-X include a saddle-style seating position that puts the rider at eye level with other pedestrians. Honda claims this “promotes harmony between the rider and others, letting the rider travel freely and comfortably inside facilities and among moving people.”

The UNI-CUB (left) and U3-X. Photo: Honda Motor Company

Despite those advances, the UNI-CUB has some of the same limitations as its predecessor: It can only travel at about 3.5 mph and its battery only lasts about an hour. Most importantly, it doesn’t have a backrest or the required stability to replace a wheelchair or other medically required mobility aid, so it’s essentially a very convoluted way for able-bodied people to get around no faster than they could walk.

So what’s Honda doing working on this project instead of devoting that time and money to building a better Civic? Think of it as a proof of concept, a chance for the robotics and motor teams to show off their research in a final project. The UNI-CUB may have limited real-world applications, but the technologies developed to make it possible may be quite useful across Honda’s portfolio of products.

Some day in the near future, balance control developed for the UNI-CUB could help improve stability control on an SUV, motorcycle or jet – or just keep poor ASIMO from falling down the stairs again.